


New Beginning

by CorsetJinx



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, post-kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 12:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12189780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorsetJinx/pseuds/CorsetJinx
Summary: Waking up feels like dredging herself up from a long dream. An endless dream. But the world around her seems real. Is she real too?





	New Beginning

Xion felt heavy. Felt it in her arms and legs, in her hips and her chest. Her head might have been a lodestone bearing down on metal - moving it at all, even opening her eyes, seemed impossible. Following that thought, she found her thoughts slowing - the closest she could consciously manage to a frown. It took her a moment to figure out why.

She shouldn’t have _arms_ or _legs_. She shouldn’t be worried about her _head_.

Forcing herself to remain calm, she tried to suck in a breath - just to see if she could.

The distinct feeling of her mouth opening and a slow trickle of air deliberately easing into her throat and lungs confirmed that she could. She held it in, feeling fuzzy and confused, until she let it out in a _whoosh_. Her throat tickled, tongue feeling thick in her mouth. Repeating the action a few more times, she allowed herself to start to feel the buzz of _something_ that stirred in her chest.

Opening her eyes bit by little bit, Xion tried to bring the room into focus. Blurriness obscured her vision and she tried to dispel it by blinking, staring as her vision began to clear and distinctive shapes resolved themselves. Sunlight poured in through a window, confirming that she couldn’t be in The World That Never Was. It felt warm - pleasant even - and someone had strung up chunks of differently colored crystal on a line over the window’s glass, creating a rainbow of blobby, prismatic color on the wall by her head.

The bed she was laying on felt softer than the one in her designated room in the Organization’s castle. Blankets, pale cream colored instead of sterile white, had been drawn up to her chest. Tentatively, she tried to wiggle her fingers under the covers. They twitched at first, sending tingling sensations along her nerves before complying with her careful demand. Slowly, she curled her fingers into a fist and released it, turning her wrist and testing the responsiveness of her other limbs as each one began to respond.

Heat prickled at the backs of her eyes as she pulled in another careful breath, her throat tightening as she processed everything. That she _could_ feel, most of all. That she was _here_ , in a body of her own. That _something_ \- something she had longed for, fought for, _yearned_ for almost more than anything - beat within her chest.

She was _here_ , wherever here was.

Opening her eyes once she felt certain that tears wouldn’t immediately slip down her face she turned her head, hoping to get another, better, look at the room. The walls were wood and sanded down to a soft, pale color that whorled and twisted wherever and however it liked. A nightstand beside her bed was made of darker stuff, playing host to a slim vase full of pretty flowers. Each blossom looked bigger than her spread hand, petals stretched out like the points of a star.

Xion sniffed, smiling at the faint scent she managed to catch.

Under the window sill was a low bookshelf, packed haphazardly with books of all colors and sizes. She thought she saw what might be an old pair of shoes stuffed into one empty cubby, uncertain if that was really the case as the door she’d glanced over suddenly opened.

Her heart dropped and she felt dizzy, fumbling into sitting up as none other than Sora stepped into the room.

_Sora, who she was supposed to be merged with, so he could meet Roxas and be whole._

_Sora who had welcomed her, even unconsciously, into his heart and kept her warm and safe_

_**Sora** \- hero of the worlds and so kind that it hurt - looking at her like he just might cry_

“You’re up.” He said carefully, eyes wide. One of his arms was close against his chest, holding something - several somethings, it looked like - so that it wouldn’t fall to the floor. His whole face brightened, surprise giving way to happiness and before Xion could think to stop him he turned his head to face the hallway and shouted, “Guys! _Guys!_ Xion’s awake!”

The sound of many feet moving at once - moving _fast_ \- echoed up the hall and Sora made for them by closing the distance between her bed and himself, laughing as he hugged her tightly with his free arm. Xion stared over his shoulder and the shapes of several people filled the room - glimpses of impossibly familiar faces through spiky hair.

“Sora, c'mon you need to let her breathe - ”

“Ease up man, I can’t even see her!”

“Dude, she’s shaking like a leaf.”

“Alright, back up.” A soft, mild voice finally spoke up and then Sora was - slowly, reluctantly - moving away to give her more room.

She finally got a look at what he was carrying, what looked like a king’s ransom worth of synthesis materials winking at her as the crystalline stones caught the light as he sat back. Sora was still smiling, scrubbing at his wet cheeks with the heel of his other hand. Past him, filling up the room with their own smiles and the warmth of their bodies were -

_Axel. Riku. Roxas. Kairi. Namine._

‘Welcome back.“ The blonde girl smiled, fingers twisting around each other. "We were all waiting for you. For you to wake up.”

“Weren’t sure that you would, honestly.” Axel muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked torn, glancing at her face only to look away a second later.

Riku smiled, his eyes brighter than she remembered them being the last time they’d met. “But you’re here now. That’s…” He trailed off, suddenly shy and looked away. “That’s good.”

Kairi nudged him with her elbow, rolling her eyes at the look he sent her way. Her smile was bright - she was bright, as fiery and kind and lovely as Sora’s memories had shown her to be. “How do you feel? Sorry about all the noise. We just… we wanted to be here when you got up.”

Roxas, sliding between Namine and Axel, took up the spot on the bed just beside her, buffering her from the stares a little. One side of his mouth quirked as he covered one of her hands with his own, skin warm and calloused and very, very real.

“It’s okay, Xi.” He squeezed her hand once, not once looking away as she stared at him. “We’re all here. Together. Just like we promised.”

“I..” The word left her mouth slowly, more than a little hoarse. She winced, closing her mouth and trying to swallow. Her mouth still felt too dry when she managed to ask, “How…?”

“Keyblade.” Sora provided, carefully emptying the hoard he’d been carrying onto the blanket around her knees. She watched the crystals roll and knock into each other, surprised and pleased to recognize a few. “It wasn’t right,” he added, twirling a chunk of ice shard between his index finger and thumb. “You and Roxas not being able to be yourselves.” He looked at her hesitantly, through his lashes as though he’d become shy. He hadn’t though. There was too much determination in his eyes, too much fierce love and light. “So I fixed it.”

“Tried to.” Riku corrected above his head, nudging him on the shoulder with his knuckles. “King Mickey and Master Yen Sid helped.”

Axel rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest as he sighed. “Lectured more like.”

“But you’re here.” Namine pointed out gently, her expression soft and warm. “As your own person.”

“Where you belong.” Kairi nodded, reaching around Roxas to lightly touch Xion’s shoulder. “With friends.”

Xion blinked, jumping as hot, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She let go of the blanket she’d been clutching, carefully sliding away from Roxas’ concerned grip, to wipe at them. Words she wanted to say built up against the tightness of her throat and all she could produce right then was an embarrassing hiccup of noise. A hand - Roxas’ or Kairi’s or Sora’s, she didn’t know - rubbed her shoulder and her back, another touching her knee through the blanket covering her legs.

“Th.. Thank you.. you guys.” She managed, smiling even though the tears kept coming. “I.. It’s good to be back.”


End file.
